Surma Yarsa Trail

Welcome to Nepal. After completing customs and immigration formalities at the airport, meet our representative outside arrival terminal. Get transferred to your hotel. Remaining time is free for independent activities. In the evening, meet your guide and attend a trek briefing session.

After breakfast, our representative will transfer you to the domestic terminal for your flight to Dhangadhi. The flight takes around an hour. After early lunch at Dhangadhi, board a waiting car for a drive to Dadeldhura. We drive on the Mahakali Highway which goes northward from the East West Highway. The drive is pleasing as the road passes through beautiful countryside, crossing rivers and rivulets, lush forests and terraced fields. Dadeldhura is a pleasing hilly town with cool weather. It offers breathtaking views of Api and Saipal mountains on a clear day.

Continue driving toward Chainpur – the district headquarters of Bajhang. Chainpur sits in the beautiful valley on the banks of the magnificent Seti River. After lunch at Chainpur, a leisurely off-road drive of about two hours will take you to Kate. You will stay here today. Meet your crew and stay in your camp. Kate is a small village of around 50 houses. There are some shops, a primary school and a health post as well as police station.

First trekking day of the trip! After early breakfast at your camp start walking toward Kharka. The trail is initially through beautiful terraced fields. You can see locals busy in the field. After a short walk, the trail starts climbing up a ridge. The trail is forested; cool breeze and chirping of birds will make your walk easy and relaxing. Before you reach the ridge top, the trail opens up into a small grassland with a temple. Kharka is about an hour’s walk from here. Take rest at Kharka while your crew prepares lunch. Kharka means grazing ground in Nepali. You can see people grazing their cattle here. After lunch, cross the Sunigaad River and start walking upstream on the riverbank. You will cross the river multiple times before reaching Malinde where you will stop for the night. Malinde is a small settlement with two or three shops. You can see a beautiful waterfall across your camp.

Resume walk after having breakfast at your camp. The trail is difficult initially as you will need to climb to the top of a ridge. But it takes only about half hour or so. From the ridge, make a descent to the river and continue walking upstream to reach your lunch spot at Dugad. There are few shops supplies essentials to the local travelers. After lunch, resume walking toward Pal Halne. The trail is steep again and on a rocky surface. However, rhododendron and pine forests provide canopy for you. A walk of about one and half hours will take you to Pau Mel. From here, the trail to Pal Halne is almost leveled. As the trail is landslide prone, you are advised to follow your guide. After a walk of some one and half hours form Pau Mel, cross a river and walk for about an hour to reach Pal Halne. Pal Halne is a beautiful camp site with water source nearby.

As usual, resume the walk after having breakfast at your camp. You can witness change in vegetation as we are gradually gaining altitude. Landscape looks different as trees make way for small shrubs. The trail is uphill but easy. A walk of about two hours will take us to a ridge top known locally as Parthi Mandir. There is a small temple at the top where locals and Yarsagumba hunters pray and offer their worship. You take an early lunch today. The alpine grasslands begin from here. This means Yarsagumba can be found here in the harvesting season. You can see people searching for the priced half fungus, half caterpillar. Continuing further, the trail is more or less leveled. It drops to a river and climbs up again to Dhanasera. Dhanasera is a big grassland. The entire area is covered by makeshift tent of Yarsa hunters in the peak season.

After leisurely breakfast, explore Dhanasera area. Watch locals harvest yarsagumba. Interact with them to know how the half fungus, half caterpillar is helping change socio-economic status of local people. Visit Kunda – a small lake -- and other nearby pastures. You can also see tall grass that resembles paddy crop. Dhansera gets its name from this grass as Dhan means paddy in Nepali. You can also enjoy views of different snowcapped mountains like Chand Shikhar and Biru Odhar, among others.

You walk through the leveled grassy field toward Nilkatti. On the way, you can see locals harvesting Yarsagumba. The entire area wears a festive look. You will reach Nilkatti after a walk of some four hours. From here, continue your walk toward Tanda. You can see a small temple at Tanda. One interesting feature in Tanda is a slender white line formed on the rocks near the temple. Locals believed that the white line is of snake which was cursed by the Langa deity that resides in Tundal area. Watch your crew worship at the temple before continuing further. You will camp a little below Tanda.

The trail today is mostly leveled and downhill at some places. As you are losing altitude, you can see changes in vegetation. The landscape looks more green now. It will take you 5-6 hours to reach Dhuli. Dhuli is a bustling settlement on the slopes of a hill that rises above Seti River. There are some 15 houses here as well as health post, post office and a police station. Agriculture and sheep farming is the major occupation of the local people. They grow apples, barley, maize, millet, beans and potato, among others. During Yarsaghumba harvesting season, almost everyone climbs up to Tanda and Dhanasera area. Khas people are the major inhabitants here.

The trail is downhill for about an hour until you reach Seti River. After crossing the river, the trail is uphill for about one and half hour. After climbing to the top of a ridge, the trail is leveled and easy. A walk of about an hour will take you to Kada. Kada is a bustling village. There are schools and health post, among other facilities. Your lunch will be served here. After Kada, the trail is leveled until you reach a river named Tharunigaad. After crossing the river, the trail is uphill for about half an hour. Then, the trail is easy and leveled. Cross Ghatkhola river on a footbridge and walk for about an hour to reach Kakarkot.

Continue our walk from Kakarkot after having breakfast at our camp. Very soon you will climb to Dhalaun. Continuing further, you will reach Ganai which is a settlement on the banks of Ganaigaad River. Your lunch will be prepared here. After lunch, continue further to reach Jadlek where you will stop for the night.

This will be the last walking day of your trek. After a leisurely breakfast, start walking toward Talkot. A walk of about one and half hours will take you to the beautiful village of Sunapani. You can take a tea break here. A walk of another three hours from here will take you to Talkot which has road access. Lunch will be served here. After lunch, bid adieu to your crew and board a waiting car for a drive of around two hours to Chainpur – the district headquarters of Bajhang. Back to the civilization! You get running hot and cold water, comfortable rooms, Wi-Fi Internet and modern amenities here.

Make a short walk to the road head and board a waiting car for a drive to Jogbudha. The journey takes some eight hours. The drive is off-drive for about one and half hours. After that, the ride is easy on a blacktopped road. After lunch at Dadeldhura, continue your drive toward Jogbudha. Today, you will camp near the settlement of the nomadic Raute community. Observe up close the activity of possibly the last nomadic community of Nepal. Rautes hunt monkeys and collect wild fruits and tubers for their square meal. They also make wooden utensils and exchange them with whatever they need from other people.

Today, you will drive to the plains after successful completion of your trek. The drive is mostly downhill and passes through the beautiful countryside of far-western Nepal. You will be drive straight to Shuklaphanta National Park. Check into your lodge. After lunch, embark on jungle safari with our experienced naturalist. Spread over 305 square kilometers, Shuklaphanta National Park is one of the best preserved protected areas in western Nepal. The national park is known as the home of swamp deer. However, other wild species like hog deer, wild dog, Nilgai, elephants and tiger, among others. Similarly, bird species like heron, water fowls, ducks, storks, kingfishers and egrets are found aplenty in this national park. Enjoy jeep safari in the national park. Climb up machans (viewpoints) to watch hundreds of swamp deer grazing in the grasslands. Rani Tal, which translates into Queen Pond, is another attraction in the national park. Accommodation is in a jungle lodge.

After breakfast, you will be driven to Dhangadhi Airport for a flight to Kathmandu. The drive takes around two hours, while the flight is of a little above an hour. Upon arrival in Kathmandu, get transferred to your hotel. In the evening, we will organize a typical Nepali dinner in your honor to celebrate successful completion of your trek.

Today, you will fly back to your destination. Our representative will drive you to the airport for your return flight. On board the aircraft, you will have plenty of time to reflect on the amazing times that you had in Nepal and plan for your next trip.